Many researches have been published related to using exergoeconomic approach to assess the performance of the cogeneration plant and the cost rates of products generated by various thermal systems especially in the cogeneration plant. However, there are no detailed studies that had been carried out in the case of Malaysia, a tropical climate country, due to limited number of cogeneration plants, especially gas-fueled district cooling system. This study is on exergoeconomic analysis of gas-fueled district cooling system. The scope of this study focuses on district cooling plant with gas turbine, heat recovery steam generater and steam absorption chillers. The analysis was based on the first and second laws of thermodynamic principles and the cost rates balance equations. The analysis was based on a case study to determine the energy efficiency, exergy efficiency, exergy of fuel, exergy of product and exergy destruction for the gas turbine, heat recovery steam generator and steam absorption chillers of a gas-fueled DC system. In the analysis, the cost rates of power and chilled water were also calculated. From the analysis, it was noted that a difference of approximately 34% for power cost rates and 67% for chilled water rates, when compared with industrial rates. This shows exergoeconomic method provides a feasible approach for evaluating the performance and cost rates of power and chilled water of the gas-fueled district cooling system.


Debt is the corollary of credit and, without the latter, the former would largely cease to exist. However, in our consumeroriented society, a number of factors have combined to encourage the growth of credit. Many people appear to obtain goods and pay for them on a regular instalment basis rather than save up enough to make an outright cash payment. In many cases, goods are priced at such a level, that, without availability of credit, the average consumer could simply not afford to buy them. Credit facilities have thus been developed in order to promote and sustain the high level of consumption which individuals appear to want and which our society appears to require. In other cases, bureaucratic convenience may encourage the provision of credit: this is the case with public utilities such as electricity and gas, where pre-payment meters are only allowed in exceptional cases. Most people willingly undertake to pay later problems arise for some people when they find


The present invention belongs to the technical field of rolling equipment, in particular to a graphite ring rolling machine, including the table, supporting plate metal strip unwinding device, unwinding device and a graphite tape rolling device, the support plate is provided in the table, unwinding apparatus and graphite with metal strip unwinding device is provided on both sides of the support plate, coil means comprises the lower rolling roll shaft driving means and the support plate is provided with a through hole, rolling shaft protruding from the through hole above the rolling axis is provided with a graphite tape guide means, on both sides of the axis of rolling metal strip are provided with guide means and spot welding means, graphite tape guide means, the guide means and the metal strip spot welding means are fixed to the support plate. After using the present invention, the entire winding process graphite seal does not require workers to participate, save a lot of labor, greatly improving production efficiency.


Optimal defects-per-unit test plans based on posterior odds ratios are developed for the disposition of product lots. The number of nonconformities per unit is modeled by the Conway–Maxwell–Poisson distribution rather than the typical Poisson model. In essence, a submitted batch is conforming if its posterior acceptability is sufficiently large. First, a useful approximation of the optimal test plan is derived in closed form using the asymptotic normality of the log ratio. A mixed-integer nonlinear programming problem is then solved via Monte Carlo simulation to find the smallest number of inspected items per lot and the maximum tolerable posterior odds ratio. The methodology is applied to the manufacturing of paper and glass. The suggested sampling plan for lot sentencing provides the specified protections to both manufacturers and customers and minimizes the needed sample size. In terms of inspection effort and accuracy, the proposed approach is virtually an advantageous extension of the classical frequentist perspective. In many practical cases, it yields more precise assessments of the current consumer and producer risks, as well as more realistic decision rules.


Software product lines are an excellent mechanism in the development of software. Testing software product lines is an intensive process where selecting the right features where to focus it can be a critical task. Selecting the best combination of features from a software product line is a complex problem addressed in the literature. In this paper, we address the problem of finding the combination of features with the highest probability of being requested from a software product line with probabilities. We use Evolutive Computation techniques to address this problem. Specifically, we use the Ant Colony Optimization algorithm to find the best combination of features. Our results report that our framework overcomes the limitations of the brute force algorithm.


The capacity of an airport can be halved during poor visibility conditions if the airport allows simultaneous approaches only during visual conditions. Several concepts are defining new standards, procedures and operations to allow simultaneous operations during poor weather conditions. However, all the concepts assume that the controllers pair the aircraft and align them for simultaneous approaches, but there are no decision support tools that aid them in this process. This study investigates different levels of automation for pairing and aligning aircraft and evaluates the role of the air traffic controller while interfacing with the tool. In all the conditions the goal was to deliver a pair of aircraft with a temporal separation of 15 s (+/10s error) at a "coupling" point that is about 12 nmi from the runway threshold. The logical pairing of aircraft is completed much earlier than the physical pairing of the aircraft that occurs at the coupling point. Four levels of automation were selected that ranged from no automation, to full automation suggesting optimal pair assignments. The metrics in this paper describe the highlights of what has been analyzed and include number of pairs made under different conditions, number of pairs broken and controlled as a single aircraft to prevent potential loss of separation, and excessive workload. It was found that the controllers pair aircraft differently from the pairing algorithm. Also the area coordinator responsible for creating aircraft pairings experienced higher workload than the sector controllers, suggesting that the roles of the controllers, when using this automation need further refinement.


It is one of the most important tasks to build students' ability of interpreting drawings in engineering graphics. Therefore, in the research of how to improve students' interpretive ability, we put forward an effective way by intensifying the training of visual and logic thinking of the students.


Assesses the extent of the problem of direct or indirect discrimination on the grounds of sex, race or social class in the UK legal profession. Evaluates the profession's efforts to increase its diversity and to eradicate discrimination. Reviews the arguments on the benefits to be acquired from increasing the profession's diversity.


The idea of a Global Geodetic Observing System (GGOS; originally called IGGOS, Integrated Global Geodetic Observing System) goes back to the IAG Section II Symposium in Munich in 1998. In 2003 at the XXIII IUGG General Assembly in Sapporo the new IAG structure was implemented and with it the GGOS Planning Group was set up. Four years later, at the XXIV IUGG General Assembly in 2007, GGOS was accepted by the IAG Council as a full component of the IAG structure. More details may be found in (Beutler et al., 2009). Table 1 summarizes the major events that happened since, i.e., in the report period 2007-2011. In the following the most important developments are described in some more detail.


Northwest ethnic regions including Gansu,Qinghai,Ningxia,Xinjiang 4 provinces,is China's natural ecological fragile area,the contradiction between population and resource is very outstanding.This article use,the statistical methods to analyze the changes and current situation of ecological environment and consumption mode in the northwest minority area,and then using panel data model to undertake quantitative analysis on the relationship between ecological environment and consumption,find out the existing problems,and puts forward the transformation of consumption mode to improve the ecological environment of the relevant policy recommendations in order to promote the region ecological environment protection and construction.


Numerous changes and innovations have occurred in concrete materials and technology during last century. These changes have provided engineers with many advantages in the design and construction of concrete structures. Concurrently, however, the application of the new developments and changes in concrete mixture proportions have also generated new durability problems. This article addresses concerns surrounding the mixture proportioning of concrete and discusses a variety of related topics including extended service life requirements of modern concrete, advancements in concrete technology (portland cements, ready-mix concrete, air-entraining agents, high-strength concrete and admixtures), recent research (permeability, microcracking, early-age cracking), and recommendations for enhanced durability through better mixture proportioning.


Positive displacement compressors are essential in many engineering systems, from domestic to industrial applications. Many studies have been devoted to providing more insights into the workings and proposing solutions for performance improvements of these machines. This study aims to present a systematic review of published research on positive displacement compressors of various geometrical structures. This paper discusses the literature on compressor topics, including leakage, heat transfer, friction and lubrication, valve dynamics, port characteristics, and capacity control strategies. Moreover, the current status of the application of machine learning methods in positive displacement compressors is also discussed. The challenges and opportunities for future work are presented at the end of the paper.


The concrete and cash exercise of justice, from the warranting perspective of the just compatible process with the Democratic State of Right, must reproduce and reconstruct the circumstances that motivate the litigation in the possible way next to the reality. The truth does not have to be considered an utopia, therefore, revived in the process, has humanitarian relevance and politics and must be product of the most qualified method of inquiry in any area of knowing human being, not differing substantially from the method adopted in experimental sciences. Thus it is that the test if constitutes in the skillful mechanism in the process capable to reconstruct the objective reality and to direct the decision more joust in the concrete effectiveness of the basic rights. Ahead of the constitutional rise of the right to the test, fatally colliding with other basic rights, one evidences that the prohibition of the test gotten for illicit ways in the process is the normative ethical element of solution of this conflict in the humanistic context of the society contemporary. Key-words: Test, Illicit Test, Criminal proceeding, Civil action. Sumario: 1. INTRODUCAO. 2. A PROVA E SEUS ASPECTOS GERAIS. 3. A PROVA E SEUS ASPECTOS ELEMENTARES. 4. O SISTEMA PROBATORIO CONSTITUCIONAL BRASILEIRO. 5. A VEDACAO DA PROVA ILICITA: ELEMENTO ETICO NORMATIVO CONSTITUCIONAL DE SOLUCAO DE CONFLITOS DE DIREITOS FUNDAMENTAIS. 6. CONCLUSAO. REFERENCIAS. * Artigo apresentado como trabalho final de conclusao da Disciplina Teoria Geral do Processo, ministrada pelo Prof. Dr. Leondardo Greco, no Curso de Mestrado em Direito, Politicas Publicas e Processo, na Faculdade de Direito de Campos, em Campos do Goytacazes – RJ, 2006. ** Capitao da Policia Militar do Espirito Santo, professor de Direito Penal Economico da FACASTELO/ES e Mestrando na Faculdade de Direito de Campos.


The modern economic management embodies the emphasis of enterprise extension. The enterprise should accept the novel concept and make the underlying mechanism followed by economic management run through the daily detailed regulation. The hidden difficulties and drawbacks should be identified at any time and corrected carefully. The economic management of modern enterprises is a complex process and will experience a long-term exchange stage. After continuous exploration, the new feasible path can be summarized and the new modern management framework can be built. Modern enterprise management cannot leave the preset economic management. In the common operation, the high-level economic value should be highlighted. The preset management precondition is to define the fundamental duty and change the old management organization. The enterprise management path has the intrinsic operating path and hidden deep logic. It is required to follow the real state, accept the new management concept and promote the the modern management expansion. At the same time, the new mechanism followed by the economic management should be created and the optimal system should be built. The old perception cannot be neglected and should be updated at any time. For the built management framework, attention should be paid to the subsequent review and find the problems. I. Define the essence of management The economic management of modern enterprise is the corporate identity in modern times. The underlying connotation of economic management integrates the daily economic activities, original principles of management category, selected management idea and management path in the supporting architecture. From the system built, the modern economic management orderly links the enterprise economy and corresponding management process in the macroscopic architecture. From the essential viewpoint, it is intersected with the economy with the category of management and subject. The economic management in modern times reflects the deeper-level operating concept, aim followed by management and central interest of enterprise, which constructs the stable guarantee followed by enterprise progress. The daily production, continuous operation control, quality of selling products and various links involved by finance should be arranged. In this case, the multiple sourced of enterprise can be gathered orderly. The economic management under the new situation extends the enterprise advantages and promotes the long-term enterprise extension. From the modern perspective, the system built by economic management should pay attention to the connotation of following levels. First, create the organizational structure within the complete framework and define the subdivided branch responsibilities. In the common management, the relevant economic documents should be collected properly kept. The periodic mechanism should be developed and the management efficiency in the real state should be assessed. Second, strengthen the resource control in the internal architecture, pay attention to the raw material purchasing in the initial stage, continuous production and processing and corresponding service process. Next, strictly follow the pre-proposed related laws and regulations and reconcile the multiple contradictions


Vesicles from cells have nano size of diameter and have substances same as the original cells (for example, membrane proteins and genes). Due to their stability and possibility to store and transport substances, many researchers have trying to mimic the vesicles to use them in drug delivery systems. In this study, we generated artificial vesicles (AV) from embryonic stem cells (ES cells) consisting of membrane proteins and having the diameters in the range of 60 ~ 300 nanometers. We employed the method of pressure extrusion of ES cells through a microfluidic channel whose width is similar or narrower than the diameter of the ES cell. We identified changes in AV size according to the channel width, and the channel length. In addition, we verified the shape of AV by TEM (Transmission Electron Microscopy) and their content by PCR (Polymerase Chain Reaction). Our results, showing the various possible sizes of extruded AV, can be used not only in stem cell research (and cell therapy) but also in research to analysis lipid bilayer mechanics.


A Survey was made of the distribution, environment, flowering and fruiting periods, cultivation history as well as the main characters of jackfruit germplasm (Artocarpus heterophyllus Lamarck) in Xinglong area of Hainan Province. The comprehensive evaluation of agronomic characters and fruit quality of jackfruit as well as its development and utilization were described herein.


This article evaluate how cross-border labor mobility affects real estate price trends. To overcome the endogeneity of mobility choice, a natural experiment is used: The implementation of the "Agreement on the Free Movement of Persons" (AFMP) between the European Union (EU) and Switzerland, on 1 June 2007. This policy change the eligibility criteria for obtaining a cross-border permit by removing residence restrictions and creates a natural experiment for a difference-in-differences analysis. Based on French administrative data, results show that cross-border labor mobility does not affect house price trends in French border regions. However, the implementation of the AFMP has had a positive impact on the evolution of apartment prices in both the short term (six months) and the medium term (three years). In addition, the evolution of apartment prices shows sensitivity to distance from the border and to the housing quality segment.


Classical DM combines measurements of diffraction amplitudes, plus the knowledge that the object to which they correspond in real space is mainly flat and ≈0, except at sharp maxima corresponding to atoms. From electron channeling theory, the electron exit wave (specifically ψ(r)-1, where the normalized direct beam amplitude is subtracted) also has sharp atom-like peaks. The peaks oscillate in phase as a function of thickness and different peaks oscillate at different rates. A simulated example of this is shown in Fig. 1. This suggests that DDM might succeed as classical DM does using iterative projections onto sets – by turns enforcing the known Fourier amplitudes Ψ(h) in reciprocal space, and implementing a 'sharpening' of ψ(r) after transforming to real space. If successful, iteration would converge to a solution ψs(r) ≈ψ(r)-1.


ABSTRACTIn this paper we report the use of dynamic light scattering, in the presence of electric fields, as a means of studying pretransitional phenomena in the nematic phase of a mesogen undergoing a nematic to smectic A phase transition. We have measured the splay and twist elastic constants (k11, and k22) and the splay and twist viscosities (ηSplay and γ1,) as a function of temperature over the entire nematic range of 4-cyano-4′-octyl-biphenyl. Near to the SA phase a strong critical divergence has been observed for k22 and γ1, whilst k11 and ηSplay show an unexpected weak divergence but are finite at the transition. For comparison data are also presented for the purely nematic pentyl homologue which does not exhibit a smectic A phase.


In this thesis the actual and simulated energy use at Spira preschool in Lulea was investigated. The actual specific corrected energy use was determined to 121.4 kWh/m2 and year. Before the prescho ...


One language that is a communication tool in various parts of the world is English; English has become a language that must be mastered by the community, especially students. However, not everyone can easily speak English. The purpose of this research is to know the level of anxiety when they speak in English at Universitas Ahmad Dahlan students. This research uses a qualitative method. One hundred and twenty seven students were selected as the participants of the questionnaire; the tool used for this study was adapted from Horwitz, Horwitz & Cope (1986) Foreign Language Classroom Anxiety Scale (FLCAS). The result of this study was showed that the majority of the students (n=103) were found students had a moderate level of anxiety, one student had a very high level of anxiety and thirteen students were found to had a high level of anxiety. The level of anxiety by dimensions, such as the Fear of Negative Evaluation (FNE) ranks third. Meanwhile, Communication Apprehension (CA) and Test Anxiety (TA) are significantly dominant performance anxieties.


New dimeric and trimeric TTF derivatives with methylenedithio spacers (1a,b, 2a, and 2b) have been synthesized. X-ray structure analysis revealed that TTF units of the dimer 1b adopted distorted face-to-face overlapping arrangement both in intra- and intermolecular stacking. Cyclic voltammetric study indicated that trimeric 2a was in favor of taking di- and tetracationic states, while the dimeric 1a was in favor of taking a monocation. The absorption spectroscopic study suggested an existence of the strong face-to-face interaction particularly in di-, tri-, and tetracationic state of the trimeric TTF derivatives.


This study aims to: (1) develop the learning media for the Technical Drawing module in the engineering drawing subject of class X Property Construction Business (BKP) at SMK Negeri 1 Percut Sei Tuan, (2) To determine the validity level of the material and media as learning media for students. This study uses the Research and Development development research method which includes the stages of identifying potentials and problems, gathering information, product design, design validation, and design improvement. The instrument used was a questionnaire. This questionnaire is used to test the feasibility of the media in the module through material validation and media validation. Based on the research results it is known that the Technical Drawing module as a learning medium for Engineering Drawing subjects refers to a curriculum consisting of 6 chapters. The results of the feasibility test for material experts with an average score of 125 are in the very good category. And the results of the feasibility test for media experts with an average score of 148 are in the very good category. The results showed that the Engineering Drawing learning module was feasible to use for class X BKP students at SMK Negeri 1 Percut Sei Tuan.


A new concept and method for line clipping is developed that describes clipping in an exact and mathematical form. The basic ideas form the foundation for a family of algorithms for two-dimensional, three-dimensional, and four-dimensional (homogeneous coordinates) line clipping. The line segment to be clipped is mapped into a parametric representation. From this, a set of conditions is derived that describes the interior of the clipping region. Observing that these conditions are all of similar form, they are rewritten such that the solution to the clipping problem is reduced to a simple max/min expression. For each dimension, the mathematics are discussed, an example is given, the algorithm is designed, and a performance test is conducted. The new algorithm is compared with the traditional Sutherland-Cohen clipping algorithm. Using randomly generated data, the new algorithm showed a 36 percent, 40 percent, and 79 percent improvement for two-dimensional, three-dimensional, and four- dimensional clipping, respectively. One of the advantages of this algorithm is the quick rejection of line segments that are invisible. In addition, this algorithm can be easily generalized for clipping against any convex viewing volume


Phenomenological psychopathology is an elaborated form of empirical science that aims to provide the basis for pragmatic therapeutic objectives, without failing to consider intimate links with phenomenological philosophy. This article seeks to feature two concepts from psychopathology of a philosophical origin which, in their strict application to psychopathology, could be of considerable value for diagnostic purposes and for the introduction and follow-up of therapeutic strategies: the notions of dialectics and essence. There are two main technical uses of dialectics in phenomenological psychopathology, both of them drawing especially on the work of Blankenburg: Hegelian dialectics and proportional dialectics. Hegelian dialectics focuses on the dynamics of transformation of existence by analysing the positivity of negativity and the negativity of positivity;  proportional dialectics focuses on the anthropological proportions of existence, seeking to establish the relative participation of partial pre-reflexive dimensions like temporality, spatiality, embodiment or identity in any psychopathological entity. The conception of proportional dialectics leads to the need to redefine the notion of an essence of psychopathological entities, now defined as a relatively stable form of disproportion. Clinical examples are offered. As a consequence, we define phenomenological procedures as constituting a bifocal comprehension, where one of the foci observes the essential core of the condition and the other observes its movement. Essence and dialectic proportions are thus offered up as key instruments for the observation of different and sequential existential moments of life in the patient. We conclude by showing some practical consequences of the use of these concepts in phenomenological psychopathology.


A local HNC/HNC approximation is proposed and applied to 2:2 electrolytes near a charged hard wall. The results are compared with Monte Carlo data and other theories such as HNC/HNC, HNC/MSA, BGY, and MPB5. A remarkable improvement of the density profiles and of the diffuse layer potential is obtained. We show that the HNC closure for the ion–ion correlations, when used in the local scheme, always gives better results than those obtained from the MSA closure. The necessary algorithm for solving the local HNC/HNC equations is also presented.


Weather forecasting is formulated as an initial value problem in the workof numerical forecasting,while in the routine forecasting in the conventionalway it is formulated as an 'evolution' problem of weather process,especiallythat on certain specific level.It is shown in this paper that for large-scalemotion these two different formulations are in fact equivalent under certaintrivial conditions.It is also pointed out that for large-scale motion the three-dimensional structure of the baroclinic atmosphere at certain moment isreflected in and could be reconstructed from the evolution of the contour andtemperature fields at certain level before and after that moment.


One of the advantages of fuel cell (FC) power plants is fuel versatility. With changes only in the fuel processor, the power plant will be able to accept a variety of fuels. This study was performed to design process diagrams, evaluate performance, and to estimate cost of 100 MW coal gasifier (CG)/phosphoric acid fuel cell (PAFC) power plant systems utilizing coal, which is the largest single potential source of alternate hydrocarbon liquids and gases in the United States, as the fuel. Results of this study will identify the most promising integrated CG/PAFC design and its near-optimal operating conditions. The comparison is based on the performance and cost of electricity which is calculated under consistent financial assumptions.


The abandonment of mining is a topic that has gone unnoticed in the national debate since the mid-twentieth century, as well as in the normativity. The tailings, stacks of ground rocks that remain after the minerals of interest are extracted from the rocks, have a socio-environmental impact. However, the responsibilities of companies, the State and, in general, of civil society against the contaminating effects of tailings have not been defined. The present study evaluates the socio-environmental situation in San Jeronimo Taviche, Oaxaca, Mexico, where transnational companies generated large volumes of tailings. To evaluate the environmental part, 10 samples of water bodies and 13 soil samples were analyzed in which the concentration level of the total heavy metals (cadmium, copper, mercury, lead and zinc) was quantified by atomic absorption spectrophotometry. To evaluate the social aspects, semi-structured interviews were conducted with the miners, telesecundaria students and doctors from the health center, where the working conditions, the extraction processes of the heavy metals and the most common diseases in the miners were registered. It was found that the concentrations of some metals exceed the limits established by current Mexican normativity; in addition, interviews showed that the population is unaware of the health risks arising from the tailings. The present investigation allows understanding the vision of the sanitary and environmental risks that the abandoned tailings represent for the population.


This article aims to explore the application of management control systems in business processes during Ericsson's operation in China until 2016. It employs PEST Analysis and Porter's Five Forces Model to conduct commercial analysis on Ericsson, and defines accountability in the context of the bribery incident, drawing from relevant literature. The research applies the Fraud Triangle as a basis to describe the circumstances surrounding the control failures and suggests two solutions that could have mitigated the failure. Finally, it evaluates the accountability provided by Ericsson in response to the control failure.


The administrarion of a small dose of nondepolarizing neuromuscular blocking agent before the injection of suxamethonium is used widely to prevent, or limit, the untoward side effects of suxamethonium. Variable success has been reported with this procedure in decreasing muscle fasciculations, postoperative muscle pain, and the frequency of cardiac arrhythmia (Jorgensen et al., 1980; Ferguson and Bevan, 1981; Ferres et al., 1983). However, precurarization itself is not free from unpleasant and serious reactions, and may result in changes in pulmonary function and neuromuscular transmission (Howardy-Hansen et al., 1980; Rao and Jacobs, 1980; Engbaek and Viby-Mogensen, 1984; Engbaek et al., 1985). Alcuronium has never been included in such studies and data with vecuronium have been published only for awake nonpremedicated volunteers. In many hospitals " precurarization " implies the injection of a fixed dose of non-depolarizing blocking drug independent of the weight of the patient (Bennets and Khalil, 1981; Ferres et al., 1983; Engbaek and Viby-Mogensen, 1984).


Objective To investigate the effects of fetal calf serum on polarization of hepatocytes cultured in vitro. Methods The medium with fetal calf serum and that without were used to culture hepatocytes to study the effects of fetal calf serum on polarization of cultured hepatocytes. The expression of specific plasma protein, protein synthesis and morphology were determined under the 2 conditions. Results Hepatocytes cultured in the medium without fetal calf serum expressed specific plasma membrane antigen and presented wit canaliculi-like structures. Meanwhile, the gradually increasing protein synthesis maintained for at least 2 weeks. On the contrary, hepatocytes cultured in the medium with fetal calf serum failed to express specific plasma membrane antigen and the protein synthesis decreased 3 d later. Conclusions Fetal calf serum can inhibits cell polarization in hepatocytes cultured in vitro.


OBJECTIVE
The Ortiz Picture Vocabulary Acquisition Test (Ortiz PVAT; Ortiz, 2018) incorporates English learners (ELs)' lifetime exposure to English (LEE) in the assessment of ELs' English receptive vocabulary. The current study aimed to examine the validity of the test and to provide support for the use of true peer norms that control for differences in LEE among ELs.

METHOD
An archival community-based dataset (N = 226; ages 2:7 and 18:11) drawn from the New York City metropolitan area was used to assess generalizability of Ortiz PVAT test scores, differences in standard scores obtained via traditional age norms vs. EL norms which account for LEE alongside age, and the predictive value of LEE.

RESULTS
No significant differences in Ortiz PVAT performance was found based on gender or home language group membership, suggesting that the test measures receptive vocabulary in English in a fair manner across those demographic groups. Higher LEE was associated with better performance on the Ortiz PVAT. Significant differences in age-based standard scores with a medium effect size was found between monolingual English speakers and ELs with low or moderate LEE but not when LEE is accounted for using the EL norms. Lastly, an additional 18% of variance in Ortiz PVAT raw scores was accounted for by LEE above and beyond age, and LEE was found to exert more influence on test performance compared to age.

CONCLUSION
Results added to the existing fairness evidence for the Ortiz PVAT and supported the use of true peer norms to account for differences in LEE.


Quadruple negative breast cancer (QNBC), which refers to triple negative breast cancers (TNBCs) lacking androgen receptor (AR) expression, is now considered to be a highly aggressive BC subtype, with no actionable therapeutic targets. QNBC disproportionately afflicts and impacts patients of African descent. Kinesin family member C1 (KIFC1/HSET), a centrosome clustering protein that prevents cancer cells from undergoing centrosome amplification-induced apoptosis, has been reported to be upregulated in TNBCs and African-American (AA) TNBCs, compared to non-TNBCs and European-American (EA) TNBCs. Herein, we analyzed KIFC1 mRNA levels and their associations with clinical features and outcomes among AR-low and AR-high TNBC patients in three distinct publicly-available gene expression datasets and the Breast cancer gene expression database (bc-GenExMiner). We discovered that KIFC1 levels were significantly higher (p<0.05) in AR-low and basal-like TNBCs compared to AR-high and luminal androgen receptor TNBCs, irrespective of stage, grade, tumor size, and lymph node status. We also observed that KIFC1 levels were upregulated in AR-low versus AR-high black and premenopausal TNBC patients (p<0.05). Furthermore, AR levels negatively correlated with KIFC1 levels among TNBC and basal-like TNBC patients (p<0.0001). High KIFC1 levels conferred significantly shorter overall survival (OS), disease-free survival, and distant metastasis-free survival among AR-low and basal-like TNBC patients in Kaplan-Meier analyses (p<0.05). In conclusion, KIFC1 levels may be upregulated in QNBCs and specifically QNBCs of African descent, wherein it may promote poorer outcomes. In addition, therapeutically targeting KIFC1 in these patient subpopulations could significantly mitigate racial disparities in TNBC outcomes.
 Citation Format: Nikita Wright, Yuan Yate-Ching, Tijana Talisman, Rama Natarajan, Mark LaBarge, Padmashree Rida, Victoria Seewaldt. Kinesin family member C1 (KIFC1/HSET) underlies aggressive disease course in androgen receptor-low triple negative breast cancers [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 15th AACR Conference on the Science of Cancer Health Disparities in Racial/Ethnic Minorities and the Medically Underserved; 2022 Sep 16-19; Philadelphia, PA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2022;31(1 Suppl):Abstract nr C065.


In order to compare the drought-resistance of Aster novi-belgii with Dianthus chinensis cv.American during seed germinating period,two experimental materials were studied under drought stress simulated by 1/2Hoagland solution having different concentration of PEG-6000.The results showed that:The total germinating rate of Aster novi-belgii and Dianthus chinensis cv.American reached maximum point 84% and 83.3%corresponding to 5%treatment,and the total germinating rate of Aster novi-belgii and Dianthus chinensis cv.American decreased with the increasing content of PEG-6000.Three characteristic values including the embryo bud length,the fresh weight and vigor index of two plants all decreased with the increasing of PEG-6000 content,the embryo root length reached maximum when the concentration of PEG-6000 equaled to 10%,then decreased gradually.The drought resistance index of Aster novi-belgii reached highest point 1.214 corresponding to 5%treatment,while the drought resistance index of Dianthus chinensis cv.American descended from 1.000 to 0.048.The membership function was used to calculate the membership values of the total germinating rate,the embryo bud length,the embryo root length,the fresh weight,vigor index and drought resistance index for assessing drought-resistent ability of two plants comprehensively,the total average membership value was0.379 and 0.398,therefore,the the drought-resistance of Dianthus chinensis cv.American was higher than Aster novi-belgii.


COMMENT ON: OLDFORD, R.W., A PHYSICAL DEVICE FOR DEMONSTRATING CONFOUNDING, BLOCKING, AND THE ROLE OF RANDOMIZATION IN UNCOVERING A CAUSAL RELATIONSHIP, THE AMERICAN STATISTICIAN , 49:210-216, 1995 by Judea Pearl Oldford presents an ingenious teaching device which vividly displays the di culties as- sociated with attributing causal interpretation to regression equations, and thus enhances students' appreciation for several aspects of causal relations and experimental design. This letter proposes a more drastic reform of current teaching of causality, one based on replacing the vocabulary of regression analysis with extensive use of causal diagrams. Oldford advocates, and I agree, that in the classroom the teacher should de ne the parameter of the causal equation Y = + X + Z as the change expected in y when x is changed by a unit amount and everything else i.e., z is held xed. However, the routine translation of is changed and is held xed into the language of conditional expectations as in ...they students need to x z and examine the relationship between x and y conditioned on z may lead to disaster. To illustrate: Consider an extreme case where z and x are functionally related, say through z = ax + b , e.g., the amount of blood transfused z was determined as a linear function of the amount x of anesthetic used. This would render y and x conditionally independent given z and would bias regressional calculations of to zero or, at best, leave undetermined regardless of the actual value of in Eq. 1. Such bias is not limited to functional relationships between x and z ; in the general case, where a disturbance term uncorrelated with x is introduced into Eq. 1, the bias surfaces when z is correlated with both x and . Thus, teachers should discourage the routine translation of causal notions e.g., x z into regressional notions e.g., conditioned on z . The confusion between regression and causal analysis has long been a focus of discon- tention between statisticians, on the one hand, and econometricians and social scientists, on the other Freedman, 1987 and Wermuth, 1992. The source of this controversy is indeed the expression holding z xed, which economists and social scientists interpret as x- ing z by external intervention, and statisticians interpret as conditioning on z , namely, considering only samples in which z attains a certain value. While the distinction between xing and conditioning cannot be formulated in the standard language of statistical analysis, it is vividly displayed in the language of causal diagrams Spirtes etal., 1993; Pearl, 1993, a language that clari es and explicates the precise conditions under which the two interpretations are interchangeable Pearl, 1995. In The American Statistician , Vol. 50, No. 4, 387 388, November 1996.


The significance of major meteorological factors, that influence the evaporation were evaluated at daily timescale for monsoon season using the data from Junagadh station, Gujarat (India). The computed values were compared. The solar radiation and mean air temperature were found to be the significant factors influencing pan evaporation (Ep). The negative correlation was found between relative humidity and (Ep), while wind speed, vapour pressure deficit and bright sunshine hours were found least correlated and no longer remained controlling factors influencing (Ep). The objective of the present study is to compare and evaluate the performance of six different methods based on temperature and radiation to select the most appropriate equations for estimating (Ep). The three quantitative standard statistical performance evaluation measures, coefficient of determination (R 2 ), root mean square of errors-observations standard deviation ratio (RSR) and Nash-Sutcliffe efficiency coefficient (E) are employed as performance criteria. The results show that the Jensen equation yielded the most reliable results in estimation of (Ep) and it can be recommended for estimating (Ep) for monsoon season in the study region.


Objective To detect the relativity between assays of tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1) and lower limb deep vein thrombosis (DVT) after total hip arthroplasty and it's value. Methods Thirty-six patients of the total hip arthroplasty were divided into two groups according to color Doppler. There were male 9 cases, female 8 cases with an average ages of (65±7) years in DVT group and male 8 cases, female 11 cases with an average age of( 67±6)years in without DVT group. The levels of ICAM-1 was tested with enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), while TNF-α was tested with radioimmunoassay at pre-operation and first, third, seventh, fourteenth day of post-operative period. Results A marked increase of TNF-α and ICAM-1 in all the patients, and there was significant difference between two groups (P 0.05). The level of TNF-α and ICAM-1 in the patients with DVT were significantly higher than those in the patients without DVT (P 0.05). Conclusion These suggest that increasing of TNF-α and ICAM-1 may be involved in the development of DVT.


This system consists of the folio size sheeter FFS built by E. C. H. Will in Germany and folio size wrapping machine GRM built by Wrapmatic in Italy, and shows one of the directions for the rationalization in the paper finishing field. E. C. H. Will folio size sheeter FFS is arranged both for the ream and skid productions. In case of the ream prodution, the reams with 250 sheets, 500 sheets, 1,000 sheets etc. are transported directly from the layboy of FFS to folio size wrapping machine GRM via conveyors, wrapped and discharged from the double palletizer of GRM. This means that this system makes the reams wrapped/piled from the paper rolls without any interruption or any other process. The max. speed of FFS is now 400 m/min. and max. ream production is 15/min. As for the slitter, disk type top and bottom knives driven and dual slitter are available. Also the double backstand with zero speed splicer and non-stop one is available. Wrapmatic folio size wrapping machine GRM is arranged good for direct ream infeed from FFS and also ream infeed from the skid by operator. Good and tight wrapping is proven. 2-4 mm tightness is possible. No faulty paper is presupposed for this system however the faulty paper can be ejected by FFS provided the faulty portion is marked at the side of paper rolls. Also the faulty reams can be discharged behind the double palletizer of GRM in case operator pushes the button located at the conveyor between FFS and GRM. This system is good for fine paper and coated one. 2-3 operators can operate this system and max. 200 tons/day can be processed on this system.


Unclassified view of education is very important in Confucius' educational ideology,which reflects Confucius,an educationist,pursues impartiality and equity in terms of education.The spiritual essence of his ideology exerts rather important implication for modern education,which enlightens us to further educational equity,implement lifelong education worldwide,and establish the belief of humanistic education.


This research explore the effect of Educomp Smartclass Program in terms of Conservation Ability of Middle Level School Students of Jabalpur. Sample size was 755 of students and Conservation ability measured by Piagetian conservation Tasks to test conservation ability of class VI,VII and VIII CBSE middle school science syllabus. Analysis of the result revealed that the Educomp Smartclass Program has a positive impact on students since curiosity is generated among majority of the students through increased visualization.


In this paper, we are presenting hybrid methods for analysis of radiological image, such as CT, MRI, etc., to get the interested area from the medical image. This approach integrates fuzzy segmentation methods (FSM), localizing region-based active contours (LRBAC) and self-organizing map (SOM). Such integration of these methods is useful in focusing region of interest in medical images and optimizing the result. Firstly, we use fuzzy methods to get an initial segmentation result. Then we use LBARC and SOM to get smooth, accurate and optimized result. This hybrid approach is automated, since the whole segmentation procedure doesn't need much manual intervention, except the initial seed position selection for fuzzy connectedness segmentation.


Introduction Long-term success of the cementless acetabular component has been depends on amount of bone ingrowth around porous coated surface of the implant, which is mainly depends on primary stability, i.e. amount of micromotion at the implant-bone interface. The accurate positioning of the uncemented acetabular component and amount of interference fit (press-fit) at the rim of the acetabulum are necessary to reduce the implant-bone micromotion and that can be enhancing the bone ingrowth around the uncemented acetabular component. However, the effect of implant orientations and amount of press-fit on implant-bone micromotion around uncemented acetabular component has been relatively under investigated. The aim of the study is to identify the effect of acetabular component orientation on implant-bone relative micromotion around cementless metallic acetabular component. Materials and Method Three-dimensional finite element (FE) model of the intact and implanted pelvises were developed using CT-scan data [1]. Five implanted pelvises model, having fixed antiversion angle (25°) and different acetabular inclination angle (30°, 35°, 40°, 45° and 50°), were generated in order to understand the effect of implant orientation on implant-bone micromotion around uncemented metallic acetabular component. The CoCrMo alloy was chosen for the implant material, having 54 mm outer diameter and 48 mm bearing diameter [1]. Heterogeneous cancellous bone material properties were assigned using CT-scan data and power law relationship [1], whereas, the cortical bone was assumed homogeneous and isotropic [1]. In the implanted pelvises models, 1 mm diametric press-fit was simulated between the rim of the implant and surrounding bone. Six nodded surface-to-surface contact elements with coefficient of friction of 0.5 were assigned at the remaining portion of the implant–bone interface [1]. Twenty-one muscle forces and hip-joint forces corresponds to peak hip-joint force of a normal walking cycle (13%) were used for the applied loading condition. Fixed constrained was prescribed at the sacroiliac joint and pubis-symphysis [1]. A submodelling technique was implemented, in order to get more accurate result around implant-bone interface [1]. Results and Discussions The peak implant-bone sliding interfacial micromotion was observed around 75 microns around superior and supero-posterior regions of the acetabulum, whereas, micromotion was below 50 microns around other regions (area). As compared to other regions, less implant-bone micromotions were observed at the central region of the acetabulum and anterior part of the acetabulum, where micromotions were varied in the range between 5 microns to 30 microns. Although, the generated peak implant-bone sliding micromotion around the uncemented acetabulum was not vary notably due to change in inclination angle of the acetabular component, changes in patterns of implant-bone micromotions were observed and as shown [Fig.1]. Results of the present study indicated that the positioning of the uncemented acetabular component have influence on patterns of implant-bone micromotion and that might have influence on bone ingrowth and long-term success of uncemented acetabular component.


Hydrophilic ePTFE matrix was prepared by using sodium-naphthalene treatment.The reaction mechanism between sodium-naphthalene and PTFE,the properties of the as-resulting hydrophilic membrane and the comparison of PEM based on hydrophilic ePTFE matrix vs.hydrophobic ePTFE matrix were investigated.The results showed that the essence of sodium-naphthalene hydrophilic treatment was the generation of —OH,—CO and —CH groups.The contact angle of the as-received ePTFE changed from(137±0.5) ° to(45±0.5) °,the binding capacity of PFSI and ePTFE substance increased,the filling degree of PFSI enhanced,the performance of the cell improved.


Abstract Aims and objectives To understand why Western Australian (WA) midwives choose to remain in the profession. Background Midwifery shortages and the inability to retain midwives in the midwifery profession is a global problem. The need for effective midwifery staff retention strategies to be implemented is therefore urgent, as is the need for evidence to inform those strategies. Design Glaserian grounded theory (GT) methodology was used with constant comparative analysis. Methods Fourteen midwives currently working clinically area were interviewed about why they remain in the profession. The GT process of constant comparative analysis resulted in an overarching core category emerging. The study is reported in accordance with Tong and associates' (2007) Consolidated Criteria for Reporting Qualitative Research (COREQ). Results The core category derived from the data was labelled—"I love being a midwife; it's who I am." The three major categories that underpin the core category are labelled as follows: "The people I work with make all the difference"; "I want to be 'with woman' so I can make a difference"; and "I feel a responsibility to pass on my skills, knowledge and wisdom to the next generation." Conclusion It emerged from the data that midwives' ability to be "with woman" and the difference they feel they make to them, the people they work with and the opportunity to "grow" the next generation together underpin a compelling new middle‐range theory of the phenomenon of interest. Relevance to clinical practice The theory that emerged and the insights it provides will be of interest to healthcare leaders, who may wish to use it to help develop midwifery workforce policy and practice, and by extension to optimise midwives' job satisfaction, and facilitate the retention of midwives both locally and across Australia.


Fault diagnosis and prognosis of industrial equipment become increasingly important for improving the quality of manufacturing and reducing the cost for product testing. This paper advocates that c ...


Objective: to examine the relationship between the achievement of goal lipid metabolism and incidence of adverse cardiovascular events in patients after successful coronary stenting. Materials and Methods: The database for the study was data from 198 histories of patients with various forms of ischemic heart disease, who underwent coronary angiography, 306 stents implanted in coronary arteries in a regional cardiology center and Mechnikov regional hospital, Dnepropetrovsk over the period from 2004 to 2008. The period of observation of patients was on average 4,6 ± 1,3 years. Results and Discussion: The study found that the best five-year survival rate of patients without adverse cardiovascular events after stenting was significantly associated with previous PCI, presence of stable angina not higher than 2nd FC (61%, p


Alfalfa is one of the most important forage legumes worldwide. However, its use in the semiarid and arid regions is limited due to its poor stand establishment and persistence under drought conditions. Development of drought-tolerant alfalfa cultivars is of great need for improving forage and livestock production in these regions. Morphological and physiological mechanisms play a critical role in drought tolerance by influencing seedling survival, stand establishment, and recovery from drought. Assessment of physiological response variability among germplasms to drought is an essential precondition for developing droughttolerant cultivars. A greenhouse study was conducted to evaluate the variations in stomatal conductance, chlorophyll content, and root to shoot (R/S) ratio of eleven alfalfa populations under drought treatments. Eleven entries included one sativa-based commercial cultivar, six falcata-based populations, and four rangeland naturalized populations. Uniform seedlings of each population were watered to attain drought treatment regimes of 100, 50, and 25% of field capacity. Two falcata-based germplasms that had originated under annual precipitation of 165 mm and 250 mm (natural environmental conditions) demonstrated drought-tolerant associated traits. They exhibited either the lowest stomatal conductance or the greatest increased leaf chlorophyll content change under severe drought among the 11 populations. Both populations also showed the highest R/S ratio and least reduction of total biomass under the severe drought condition. The results indicated that reducing water loss through minimizing transpiration while increasing root water absorption, and the ability of delaying leaf senescence thus retaining photosynthesis are some key traits that may contribute to drought tolerance in these falcata-based alfalfa populations.


ABSTRACT This article examines interventions by the populist radical right in German civil society and responses from established organisations in three areas: work, religion and sport. The empirical results indicate that the populist radical right intervenes by attacking established actors for being part of the institutional arrangement and by reinterpreting existing conflicts according to a populist logic. The interventions follow from a combination of opportunity structures (path-dependent lines of conflict within specific areas) and windows of opportunity (such as via events that attract great public attention). The responses by civil society organisations are situational and oscillate between value-based demarcation and content-based confrontation. Therefore, civil society faces the challenge of acting not as a gateway but as a protective factor against right-wing populism by developing strategies of resilience.


Managing and engineering activated sludge wastewater treatment microbiomes for low-energy nitrogen removal requires process control strategies to stop the oxidation of ammonium at nitrite. Our ability to out-select nitrite-oxidizing bacteria (NOB) from activated sludge is challenged by their metabolic and physiological diversity, warranting measurements of their in situ physiology and activity under selective growth pressures. Here, we examined the stability of nitrite oxidation in activated sludge during a press disturbance induced by treating a portion of return activated sludge with a sidestream flow containing free ammonia (FA) at 200mg NH3-N/liter. The nitrite accumulation ratio peaked at 42% by day 40 in the experimental bioreactor with the press disturbance, while it did not increase in the control bioreactor. A subsequent decrease in nitrite accumulation within the experimental bioreactor coincided with shifts in dominant Nitrospira 16S rRNA amplicon sequence variants (ASVs). We applied bioorthogonal noncanonical amino acid tagging (BONCAT) coupled with fluorescence-activated cell sorting (FACS) to investigate changes in the translational activity of NOB populations throughout batch exposure to FA. BONCAT-FACS confirmed that the single Nitrospira ASV washed out of the experimental bioreactor had reduced translational activity following exposure to FA, whereas the two Nitrospira ASVs that emerged after process acclimation were not impacted by FA. Thus, the coexistence of functionally degenerate and physiologically resistant Nitrospira populations provided resilience to the nitrite-oxidizing function during the press disturbance. These results highlight how BONCAT-FACS can resolve ecological niche differentiation within activated sludge and inform strategies to engineer and control microbiome function. IMPORTANCE Nitrogen removal from activated sludge wastewater treatment systems is an energy-intensive process due to the large aeration requirement for nitrification. This energy footprint could be minimized with engineering control strategies that wash out nitrite-oxidizing bacteria (NOB) to limit oxygen demands. However, NOB populations can have a high degree of physiological diversity, and it is currently difficult to decipher the behavior of individual taxa during applied selective pressures. Here, we utilized a new substrate analog probing approach to measure the activity of NOB at the cellular translational level in the face of a press disturbance applied to the activated sludge process. Substrate analog probing corroborated the time series reactor sampling, showing that coexisting and functionally degenerate Nitrospira populations provided resilience to the nitrite oxidation process. Taken together, these results highlight how substrate analog approaches can illuminate in situ ecophysiologies within shared niches, and can inform strategies to improve microbiome engineering and management. CitationMadill MBW, Luo Y, Sampara P, Ziels RM. 2021. Activity-based cell sorting reveals resistance of functionally degenerate Nitrospira during a press disturbance in nitrifying activated sludge. mSystems 6:e00712-21. https://doi.org/10.1128/mSystems.00712-21. Editor Jack A. Gilbert, University of California, San Diego Copyright © 2021 Madill et al. This is an openaccess article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International license. Address correspondence to Ryan M. Ziels, email@example.com. How can we resolve the physiological differences of strains occupying the same ecological niche? @RyanZiels and colleagues utilized BONCAT-FACS to explore niche differentiation of nitrite oxidizing bacteria within the activated sludge microbiome. Received 16 June 2021 Accepted 16 June 2021 Published 20 July 2021 July/August 2021 Volume 6 Issue 4 e00712-21 msystems.asm.org 1 RESEARCH ARTICLE


This condition was first described by Bazex atid co-workers in 1965 as a skin marker of malignancy. The malignancy is a squamous cell carcinoma in the laryngo-pharyngeal region. The dcrmatological features are erythematous scaly lesions on the extremities, ears and face combined with dystrophic nails of fingers and toes with onycholysis and subungual hyperkeratosis. Treatment ofthe carcinoma usually leads to clearing of the skin lesions. Most published cases are French with a few cases from Spain (Cabre et al., i975) and the U.S.A. (Braverman, 1981). The condition affects males exclusively, mostly over the age of 40 (Bazex & Griffiths, 1980). There is one exception: a woman aged 53 presented by Civatte in 1980. She had a squamous cell carcinoma in the upper right bronchus (personal communication, Professor J.Civatte}. We report a female patient; the first case reported in Holland and probably the second female patient published with this condition. A woman, aged 57, in the past year had developed psoriasiform scaly lesions on the hands and feet, especially on the fingers and toes. There was violaceous erythema with hyperkeratosis which had a typical honeycomb appearance on the fingers and toes (Fig. 1). Later on similar lesions developed on the earlobes and nose. There was a scaly violaceous erythema on the wrists, elbows and knees with slight infiltration of the skin. The nails of fingers and toes were dystrophic with onycholysis and suhungual hyperkeratosis. A biopsy from the back ofthe right hand showed hyperkeratosis with a few very small parakeratotic foci and mild acanthosis. In the papillary layer many capillaries were present. There was a mainly perivascular lymphohistiocytic infiltrate in the superficial and deeper part of the dermis. Some of the dermal papillae were elongated with a thin suprapapillary plate which had a psoriasiform appearance. However the histopathological changes were not specific for psoriasis or lupus erythematosus, diagnoses which were suggested by the clinical picture. At the same time an undifferentiated squamous cell carcinoma ofthe upper right bronchus was diagnosed. It was inoperable as it penetrated the right pulmonary vein. Ten months after the first consultation the patient died at home. An autopsy was not performed. Although acrokeratosis paraneoplastica is a rare condition it is important to recognize it, for in some cases it will be possible to make the diagnosis before the malignant tumour is inoperable.


In this paper, we study alternating links in thickened surfaces in terms of the lattices of integer flows on their Tait graphs. We use this approach to give a short proof of the first two generalised Tait conjectures. We also prove that the flow lattice is an invariant of alternating links in thickened surfaces and is further invariant under disc mutation. For classical links, the flow lattice and $d$-invariants are complete invariants of the mutation class of an alternating link. For links in thickened surfaces, we show that this is no longer the case by finding a stronger mutation invariant, namely the Gordon-Litherland linking form. In particular, we find alternating knots in thickened surfaces which have isometric flow lattices but with non-isomorphic linking forms.


Parallel robots provide the potential to be lever-aged for human-robot collaboration (HRC) due to low collision energies even at high speeds resulting from their reduced moving masses. However, the risk of unintended contact with the leg chains increases compared to the structure of serial robots. As a first step towards HRC, contact cases on the whole parallel robot structure are investigated and a disturbance observer based on generalized momenta and measurements of motor current is applied. In addition, a Kalman filter and a second-order sliding-mode observer based on generalized momenta are compared in terms of error and detection time. Gearless direct drives with low friction improve external force estimation and enable low impedance. The experimental validation is performed with two force-torque sensors and a kinetostatic model. This allows a new identification method of the motor torque constant of an assembled parallel robot to estimate external forces from the motor current and via a dynamics model. A Cartesian impedance control scheme for compliant robot-environmental dynamics with stiffness from 0.1-2N/mm and the force observation for low forces over the entire structure are validated. The observers are used for collisions and clamping at velocities of 0.4-0.9 m/s for detection within 9–58 ms and a reaction in the form of a zero-g mode.


In the present study, the effect of flow distribution on pressure loss at distributor for fin-tube heat exchanger was investigated experimentally. Filtered tap water was used as working fluid. The working fluid was flowed into single inlet with 10 ㎜ of inner diameter and distributed to seven axisymmetric outlet ports with 2.5 ㎜ of inner diameter. Inlet flow rate range was from 0.06 to 0.09 ㎏/s and flow distribution ratio, which means flow rate through on outlet tube divided by inlet flow rate, was varied from 0.05 to 0.35. Pressure loss at the distributor was estimated from measured pressure profiles in the inlet and one of the outlet tubes. The value of the loss coefficient calculated from pressure loss decreased with the increase of the both inlet flow rate and flow distribution ratio. Empirical correlation of the loss coefficient was proposed in terms of inlet Reynolds number and the flow distribution ratio.


Early detection of corona discharge plays a critical role in avoiding catastrophic failure of transformer insulation. In this study, we explore the use of two-dimensional material coated fluorescent fiber for early detection of corona discharge. Specifically, Molybdenum disulphide (MoS2) material is dip coated over a commercial grade fluorescent since the bandgap of the coated MoS2 material corresponds to the visible and ultraviolet (UV) spectral regions. Corona inception voltage detection adopting MoS2 coated fluorescent fiber exhibits detection efficiency with the percentage difference of 32% in comparison to the UHF technique. Also, fiber coating enhances the energy content of the discharge signal by the difference of 150% with respect to uncoated fluorescent fiber. The phase resolved partial discharge studies reveal that the discharge is observed at the peak of the applied AC voltage.


Abstract Gravel deposits have a wide distribution in the Thar Desert. The presence of these gravels has led to the persistent idea that 'mighty rivers' once flowed in the desert (Oldham, 1893; Ghosh, 1977; Bakliwal, 1988). This paper demonstrates that gravel spreads around Jaisalmer are not related to Quaternary fluvial activity. They are weathered lags derived from conglomerate beds within the Lathi and Jaisalmer Formations of Mesozoic age. It is suggested that other gravel ridges of Nagaur (Misra et al ., 1980) and Bikaner Districts are also pre-Quaternary in age.


This research is aimed to empirically examine the relation between regional income per capita, gross domestic product of region, general allocation fund, local revenue, financial independence ratio, and allocation of capital expenditure. The dependent variable in this research is allocation of capital expenditure. The independent variables in this research are regional income per capita, gross domestic product of region, general allocation fund, local revenue and financial independence ratio. The sample of this research consist of 35 Regency/Municipality in the Province of Central Java in the period 2015-2017. This research use quantitative method by using report data realization of local budget revenues and expenditures (APBD) and also the tables of gross domestic product of region (PDRB) Regency/Municipality in the Province of Central Java. The analytical method that was used is multiple linear regression analysis.  The results of this research shows that the variables of regional income per capita, general allocation fund, and local revenue have significant effect on the allocation of capital expenditure. It means that, in determining the amount of income allocated for capital expenditure, local governments should consider regional income per capita, general allocation fund, and local revenue. While the variables of gross domestic product of region and financial independence ratio do not have significant effect on the allocation of capital expenditure.


Nonadherence (NA) to immunosuppressive (IS) medications after organ transplant is a major risk factor for transplant failure, morbidity, and treatment costs. This study examined the association between feelings of indebtedness and guilt toward the donor, and IS medication adherence among HTx patients.


* Corresponding author. Abstract – The integration of environmental monitoring data with harmonized space observations in order to detect and verify health threats, is a process with uncertainties and the spatial resolution is frequently inadequate for identifying the environmental burden of diseases. This work utilizes methods for merging environmental and health data for assessing atmospheric and water pollution.


Understanding non-functional requirements (NFR) and their solutions is a key architecture task, and reusing past solutions is an effective and efficient way to satisfy NFRs. NFR catalogues have been proposed to store and reuse NFR knowledge descriptions, yet identification of reusable knowledge inside catalogues remains quite hard and tedious. This article introduces the NDR ontology to describe NFR and design rationale knowledge, thus making it reusable and shareable via human and machine-readability. The ontology is the basis for several semantics-based applications currently under development, including view-based NFR/rationale exploration, facet-based search, and comparison of alternative solutions. Also, some approach extensions are explored, including model merging and high-end visualization of NFR knowledge.


Nearly 1 in 5 Americans have some form of mental illness, with 1 in 20 experiencing a serious mental illness (SMI) in 2020. Thirty seven percent of adults incarcerated in state and federal prisons have a diagnosed SMI, and 20.8% of people experiencing homelessness in the United States (US) have a SMI. Costs related to mental health treatment and services in the U.S. reached $225 billion in 2019, an increase of 52% since 2009. The purpose of this quality improvement project was to enhance knowledge awareness among healthcare providers, regarding coping skills in individuals with SMI at a behavioral health hospital in Miami, Florida. A descriptive, cross-sectional, preand posttest design was employed to conduct this project. Convenience sampling technique was utilized to recruit N = 12 participants and access data at a large hospital in Miami, Florida. The project, including the educational intervention, was conducted remotely and participants completed demographic, pre-, and posttest surveys using Qualtrics and the modified Holahan and Moo's Coping Strategies Scale (HMCSS) to assess their knowledge of awareness of coping skills in individuals with SMI. Results revealed a significant difference between preand posttest results, with an overall increase in knowledge awareness among healthcare providers after an educational intervention, t (11) = 3.4719, p = 0.001, (p < 0.05). Healthcare providers should receive training in this area to increase coping skill utilization and improve health outcomes in individuals with SMI.


Purpose. The aim of this study was the examination of rather objective predictors of 'return to work' (RTW) after stroke like income, gender or cognitive dysfunction. Beyond that, the impact of subjective perception of disability on likelihood of RTW after stroke and patients' and spouses' quality of life in relation to the patients' resumption of work was analysed. Method. Seventy first-stroke patients were examined on admission and 1 year later with the Patient Competency Rating Scale, the WHO Quality of Life questionnaire and the Barthel Index. Logistic regression analyses were conducted to evaluate the impact of predictors on RTW. General linear models were applied to measure the changes in quality of life in relation to work status. Results. Of the patients who had been employed before having had a stroke, 26.7% returned to work after 1 year. Patients' functional ability turned out to be the most important predictor of returned to work. Quality of life was positively associated with the likelihood to resume work. However, having returned to work was not related to an increased level of quality of life in patients. The spouses whose partners went back to work did experience an increase in quality of life. Conclusions. The association between quality of life and returning to work seems to be of greater importance for spouses than it is for patients. The recommendation is made to integrate loss of work as an additional factor in couples' quality of life after stroke.


We report measurements of ..pi../sup +/p ..-->.. ..pi../sup +/p..gamma.. at 17 photon angles for 165-MeV incident pions. Like the previously reported data for 269-, 298-, and 324-MeV incident pions, these data show little structure and do not deviate significantly from models predicting a monotonic decrease of the photon energy spectra with increasing photon energy.


Erectile dysfunction is a common problem in cerebrovascular stroke patients. It may have a significant impact on the quality of life of sufferers and their partners. Consequential to stroke is often low self-esteem, depression, anxiety, rejection by a partner or spouse, impotence, problems communicating due to aphasia or unwillingness to communicate, and role changes. Mobility problems, fatigue, previous illnesses, and medication also have a negative effect on sexual activity. However, it is often neglected during rehabilitation along with the psychological issues that may affect sexual dysfunction.


In popular culture, a pill contains a known active ingredient that produces pharmacological effects on our bodies. Some of these effects are expected and intended; some effects are not. Potions, on the other hand, are a magical blend of ingredients that produce mysterious effects, often desirable (eg, love) but sometimes not (eg, evil). Potions alter not only our bodies but our thoughts and behaviors too. I learned firsthand about the power of potions during a required experience in home-based primary care as part of my ambulatory care residency at the Veterans Administration in 1993. I was performing a home visit with a nurse. The patient was a Vietnam War veteran with multiple chronic diseases and who, some years before, had required an above-the-knee amputation. He lived alone in a trailer in a remote area of Bexar County, Texas. I was getting a medication history. He had a basket full of medications. There were multiple medications for hypertension, diabetes, and dyslipidemia. Something for insomnia. Another for depression. Antiplatelet therapy plus a few vitamins. The list was long. But there was one medication I had never seen before. OBECALP. The directions instructed the patient to take one capsule every 4 to 6 hours as needed for pain. OBECALP? This was one I would need to look up. In 1993, we did not have smartphones, and PubMed did not yet exist. I decided to visit the library the following day to learn more about this mysterious drug. Nonetheless, I asked the patient what kind of pain he used OBECALP for, how often he took it, and how well it worked. "Phantom limb pain," he said. "It's the only thing that's ever helped. I've tried everything. None of that other stuff works. I used to take it every 4 hours, around the clock, but now I get away with just 1 or 2 a day. A couple of months ago, some pharmacist had the doctor prescribe me something else. It didn't work. That's the only stuff that works." While driving away from the patient's home, I asked the nurse if she had ever heard of OBECALP. She chucked, "that's placebo spelled backward." In this issue of the journal, the narrative review by Wettergreen, Plauche, and Stewart examines the placebo effect and the power of beliefs. We have known for centuries that placebos can powerfully influence our subjective appraisal of pain. It is not surprising that placebos substantially influence the "subjective" response to medications for other brain disorders like depression, anxiety, and insomnia. Or, conversely, that a nocebo effect can lead to negative experiences. For example, a patient's concerns about muscle symptoms from taking statins substantially increase the likelihood that they occur. Indeed, the placebo effect is so well recognized that we require new medications to prove they produce an effect that is beyond what an inert substance produces. What many of us perhaps fail to recognize is that all medications have a placebo effect. As Figure 1 illustrates, belief effects are part of the treatment effect produced by any medication. The total treatment effect is a combination of our inherent psychological responses, our mindset and beliefs, the pharmacologic effects of a drug, and the interplay between these ingredients. Our mindset, our beliefs, about a medication has far more power than we have appreciated. Mindsets are a set of core beliefs and assumptions about the essential nature of our world that orient us toward certain expectations, explanations, and goals. Our mindsets not only influence our thoughts, but they motivate behavior and induce a physiologic response. To illustrate, let us examine mindsets about the nature of "healthy" food. For many people, healthy foods do not taste very good—they are dry and lack flavor. And because they believe healthy foods are not very tasty, they are not motivated to purchase or eat them. Or if they do eat them, it is with some reluctance. They endure them because they are "healthy." The actual nature of the food and how it is prepared is not particularly relevant—it is a belief that the food is "healthy" that shapes the expectations about what it will taste like and motivate people to eat or not eat that food. Not only does mindset shape expectations and motivations, it influences our physiologic response. In one cleverly designed randomized cross-over study, participants were asked to drink a milkshake on two separate occasions, about a week apart, and their physiologic responses were measured. During one session, the participants were told the shake was "indulgent," containing 30 g of fat and 620 calories. During the other session, the shake was "sensible," with no fat, no added sugar, and only 140 calories. In reality, the shakes were identical. Not surprisingly, the participants indicated that the "sensible" shake subjectively tasted significantly healthier than the "indulgent" one. Ghrelin levels measured 60 and 90 minutes after consuming the shake were also substantially different. The rate of decline in ghrelin levels, a physiologic marker of hunger, was 3-fold faster after consuming the "indulgent" shake. We have mindsets about many things. They are shaped by our personal experiences as well as social norms. These beliefs can be generalizations about all medications but can also be specific to a particular medication we have been prescribed (eg, expectations that a statin might cause muscle symptoms). Mindset also influences the motivation to purchase and take a medication. My grandfather openly Received: 16 August 2022 Accepted: 17 August 2022


An understanding of the role of e-learning needs to be accompanied by a realisation of the variety of social dimensions in the innovation process. As most studies in this domain are typically context-independent, this research, building on structuration theory, seeks to investigate different interpretations and uses of course management systems (CMSs) in an academic context. For the purpose of this research, a case study has been conducted on the introduction of a CMS in a higher education institution. Findings from this empirical study have been drawn on to illuminate how this system is employed in disparate manners by different groups of academics and what are the reasons behind this discrepancy. The study also demonstrates that the practice lens (Orlikowski, W.J., 2000. Using technology and constituting structures: a practice lens for studying technology in organizations. Organization Science, 11 (4), 404–428), viewing the use of technology as a process of enactment, presents a useful insight for explanation and synthesis of the variations in usage patterns.


A range of assessment tasks was developed for use in one-to-one interviews in December 2005 with 323 Grade 6 students in Victoria. In this paper, we summarise briefly the research literature on fractions, describe the process of development of assessment tasks, share data on student achievement on these tasks, and suggest implications for curriculum and classroom practice. Particular emphasis in the discussion is given to students' judgements and strategies in comparing fractions. A particular feature of this report is that one-to-one interview assessment data were collected from a larger number of students than is typically the case in these kinds of studies. Recommendations arising from these data include the importance of teachers understanding and presenting a wider range of sub-constructs of fractions to students in both teaching and assessment than is currently the case, using a greater variety of models, and taking available opportunities to use the interview tasks with their own students.


Nitric oxides (NOx) are formed as a byproduct of combustion and contribute to ground-level ozone formation and the creation of conditions harmful for human health. In response to air pollutant emissions regulations, technologies for controlling NOx formation for a entire spectrum of fuels ranging from gaseous, liquid, coals, biomass and residue-derived fuel are of great importance. The technology of Moderate or Intense-Low oxygen Dilution (MILD) combustion (also known as HiTAC or FLOX® ) holds the potential to maximize efficiency and reduce pollution emissions for liquid fuels. It relies on the dilution of recirculated combustion products in pre-heated air, yielding low temperature gradients within combustion chamber and NOx emissions. This study concerns an experimental investigation of spray flames generated in a laboratory-scale burner designed for the combustion of liquid fuels in MILD conditions. The objective was twofold: 1) reach fundamental understanding of the process and, 2) create a database useful for validation of computational models. The successful validation of these models will aid the design and optimization of industrial combustion systems. The configuration used in this study consists of a spray jet injected into a coaxial upward flow of either air or hot-diluted combustion products. The latter case resembles an environment with temperature and oxygen dilution typical for advanced MILD combustors. An important characteristic of the developed system is that the properties of the fluid entrained in the near burner zone are controlled independently of the progress of combustion in the spray flame or the flue gas composition downstream of the flame. By contrast, in a typical furnace or boiler configuration, the properties of the entrained flow are determined by in-furnace aerodynamics and cannot be varied independently. The greater flexibility of this 'spray-in-hot-coflow' burner compared to a furnace or a boiler configuration, makes possible to study systematically a range of different conditions. The spray was created using a commercial pressure-swirl atomizer. Ethanol and acetone were used as fuel because of their well-known physical properties and the availability of detailed and reduced chemical mechanisms for the combustion process. Flames with several combinations of spray and coflow conditions were studied in detail, namely 1) ethanol reacting sprays in air and hot-diluted coflow, 2) ethanol reacting sprays in different hot-diluted coflow conditions, and 3) acetone and ethanol sprays in an identical hot-diluted coflow. High-speed visualizations of liquid breakup were performed to provide insight on the atomization mechanisms. Complementary laserbased diagnostic techniques, PDA and CARS were employed to characterise the properties of gas and liquid phase in the spray region. PDA provided simultaneous measurements of droplet velocity and size statistics and CARS the gas-phase temperature statistics. For the first time, CARS has been applied to determine gas-phase temperature statistics in regions with high droplet density. The velocity and temperature statistics of the coflow were measured using respectively LDA and CARS. The composition of the coflow was measured using a flue gas analyzer. The coflow measurements together with the measurements in the spray region as close as possible to the atomizer, provides a dataset of inflow boundary conditions useful for numerical simulations. First, a comparative study of an ethanol spray in air and an ethanol spray in hot-diluted coflow was performed. These two test-cases serve as basis for comparison between conventional and MILD combustion of liquid fuels. The high-speed visualizations show that a liquid sheet cone emerges from the atomizer nozzle and disturbances, initiating from the nozzle tip, grow in space causing a local thinning of the liquid sheet and disruption. In the case of hot coflow, the presence of strong vaporization promotes the thinning of the liquid sheet and the onset of disruption takes place earlier. Although, in air and hot diluted coflow differences are observed on the onset of disruption, a similar droplet size distribution in the near atomizer region is observed for both cases and the resulting differences in the spray flame structure farther downstream stem from the different properties of the entrained coflow, i.e. temperature and oxygen dilution. In the case of air coflow, an inner and an outer flame-front is observed. In the case of hotdiluted coflow, the heat-release in the inner flamefront is substantially smaller. A significant reduction of temperature samples above 2000 K is observed in the outer flame-front for the hot-diluted case. Secondly, three ethanol sprays issuing in coflows with different temperature and oxygen dilutions were studied. The Weber number remains identical among the three cases and the temperature and the oxygen dilution were varied together. The results provide insights in the gas flow and the droplet distribution in the near atomizer field as well as the subsequent droplet dispersion. Complementary to this set of measurements, a parametric study was made concerning the sensitivity of ethanol spray flames with the injection pressure (and, therefore, initial liquid jet velocity) as well as the coflow conditions. A linear relationship was found between the lift-off height and the injection pressure which is different from what has been observed in a similar burner for a gaseous fuel jet in hot coflow. The lift-off height was found to depend on the droplet convective, vaporization and chemical time scales prior to ignition. The spray flame structure does not change with the different coflow conditions. At the outer flame-front, the peak temperatures above 2000 K are found to correlate with the coflow conditions. Higher coflow temperatures (and, therefore, higher droplet vaporization rates) together with the lower oxygen dilution lead to an increase of the peak temperatures. Thirdly, a comparative study was made of the structure of an ethanol and an acetone spray flame in identical coflow conditions. This study provides insight on the atomization mechanics, the stabilization processes and the resulting peak temperatures of liquid fuels with different physical properties burning in MILD conditions. Both flames are lifted but their visual characteristics are very different. The acetone case is found to have a higher lift-off height contrary to what would be expected based on comparison of the physical properties of the liquid fuels. High-speed visualizations show that for acetone cavitation occurs inside the atomizer. As consequence, the initial droplet distribution, turbulent dispersion of droplets and turbulence modulation of the gas-phase by droplets changes drastically and this is also at the basis of the larger lift-off height of the acetone flame. The two flames also drastically differ in the nature of the spray in the outer region. In the ethanol flame the outer region is predominantly filled by large droplets. In the acetone flame small droplets with low inertia are present and quickly follow the mixing structures contributing to vaporization and the formation of an ignitable mixture. The present study provides fundamental scientific knowledge and insight on the nature of MILD combustion for liquid fuels. In general it can be concluded that differences in properties of the recirculated hot combustion products yield different atomization characteristics and, subsequently, different turbulent dispersion and turbulence modulation of the gas-phase flow due to the presence of droplets. Although combustion in hot-diluted coflow conditions in general leads to absence of high peak temperatures, the degree in which peak temperatures are avoided depends on the interaction between coflow conditions and the characteristics of the atomization process. Additionally, the dataset offers new opportunities for model validation. Its value comes from the combination of several features such as: challenging complexity, degree of completeness of the dataset for each single case and availability of several cases with different flame structure and liquid fuels.


There is a growing field for study concerned with arrangements for health and safety at work. Safety strategies represent the larger arrangements. These can now be placed on a simple framework: pre-accident strategies comprising `safe place' and `safe person' strategies; post-accident strategies comprising contingency strategies, ameliorative strategies, and feed-back strategies; and collateral strategies. In the past, the framework has been obscured by the intrusion of extrinsic questions such as the inconsistency of the public's view of risk, political views of industrial society and government intervention, and problems in the interpretation of responsibility. These issues are identified clearly as not belonging to discussions about safety strategies. When once these issues are separated from questions about safety strategies, the framework can be perceived.


An α-l,3-glucanase was detected in the culture supernatant of a micro-organism, which was isolated from soil on agar medium containing α-l,3-glucan as sole carbon source. The isolated strain was characterized as a strain of Streptomyces, tentatively named KI-8. This enzyme required α-l,3-glucosidic linkage as an inducer. The optimum conditions for enzyme production were studied.The enzyme was purified by (NH4)2SO4 precipitation, column chromatography on DEAE-cellulose and P(phospho)-cellulose. To eliminate the concomitant β-l,3-glucanase activity, partially purified enzyme preparation was passed through a column packed with pachyman. Final purification was accomplished by the adsorption chromatography using Sephadex G-150 from which the α-l,3-glucanase was eluted with a solution of α-1,3-linked gluco-oligo-saccharides. The purified enzyme was electrophoretically homogeneous and had a molecular weight of approximately 78,000 by SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis.


In the context of a radar identification application, we have implemented a polyphase filter bank in a FPGA to generate a time/frequency image of the received signal. In order to cop e u with the real time constraints, 4 polyphase filters have b een implemented. Since the order of arrival of the 4 input samples differs from the the order required by the polyphase filters, an interleav er has been developped. In this paper, we present a method to build the interleaver wi th a minimal memory size. The proposed method is based first on a solution in a 4-dimension space, then the projection of this solution on a par llel memory.


In this paper we address some simple improvements of the algorithm of Rouveirol and Puget 11] for inverting resolution. Their approach is based on automatic change of representation called attening and unnattening of clauses in a logic program. This enables a simple implementation of operators, such as Absorption, presented in Muggleton and Buntine 6]. Unfortunately both the algorithms of MB and RP are incomplete. We analyze the reasons of the incompleteness of the RP algorithm and present an improved Absorption operator. It appears that at tree representations of clauses and predicate calculus with equality provide an appropriate context for these matters.


Fiber optic sensors can be used to measure some physical quantities through long optical fibers applied on structures. Three types of fiber optic sensors, fiber Bragg grating sensor, Brillouin OTDR(optical time domain reflectometry) and Raman OTDR(optical time domain reflectometry), are mostly useful to sense structural health status. In my works, multiplexing of FBG sensors, Raman OTDR and fiber optic BOTDA(Brillouin Optical Time Domain Analysis) sensor will be introduced in this presentation. Novel auto correction Raman OTDR can only sense temperature without any influence, such as bending losses. Double pulse technique is introduced to enhance spatial resolution of BOTDA. An error compensation of distributed strain measurement is also developed to get precise strain measurement using the BOTDA sensor. Finally, the applications of fiber optic sensors are shown in several fields including aerospace, civil structures and wind turbine blades in South Korea.


Before we seek to compare the tendency to remissions in the convulsion-treated material with that in the control material, we must make sure that the two are so alike in their composition that such a comparison is permissible. As already mentioned, an attempt has been made during the collection of the two materials to find as uniform a basis for comparison as possible. As will be seen later, there are two main factors playing a completely predominant part in the outcome of remissions whether they result from the treatment or are spontaneous. The first factor is the clinical picture according to which the various cases are entered in one or other of the principal groups. The second main factor is the duration of the disease (before the institution of the treatment in the treated cases, and before admission to hospital in the controls). Of essentially less importance, as we shall see later, is the classification according to sex, age and faculties, as well as whether the onset of the disease has been acute or insidious, and whether there have been earlier attacks or not. In the present chapter a survey will be undertaken of the part played by these factors in the two materials. In the following tables in which percentages are calculated, this procedure is adopted even when the number of cases is as small as 20 or less, the percentages in such cases being put in brackets.


2022 Background: In treatment of newly diagnosed GBM with the Stupp chemo-radiotherapy regimen, following by adjuvant chemotherapy, patients were treated with temozolomide (TMZ) & combined radiotherapy 4-5 weeks after surgery. In the interval between surgery and chemo-radiotherapy, it is not known whether additional TMZ treatment will improve efficacy or safety. This trial evaluated the safety and efficacy of the Stupp regimen + early post-surgery TMZ chemotherapy in the treatment of patients with newly diagnosed GBM. Methods: The trial was a multi-center, randomized open-label study. 99 newly diagnosed GBM patients were enrolled and randomly assigned to the Stupp regimen + early post-surgery TMZ chemotherapy arm (experimental group, n = 52) or to Stupp regimen alone (control group, n = 47). Fourteen days after surgery, the patients in experiment group recieved TMZ orally at 75mg/m2/day for 14 days. The primary endpoint of the study was the overall survival (OS). The secondary endpoints included the progr...


The latest research on scaffold materials in bone tissue engineering and its progress in future are re-viewed.The compound scaffold materials are made from two or more kinds of materials,which will complement each other′s disadvantages through a proper way,and their mechanical properties and rates of degradation can be regulated by changing the kind,amount of each component and the compounding methods.The bone tissue scaffold materials with certain mechanical strength and rates of degradation can be prepared according to the requirements.It is proposed that the compound scaffold materials in bone tissue engineering will be one of the most potential biomaterials in the field of repairing bone defects.


Background: There has been no study so far on gemcitabine continuous maintenance therapy targeting only squamous non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients. This study aimed to assess the efficacy and safety of cisplatin plus gemcitabine followed by maintenance gemcitabine for chemotherapy- naïve Japanese patients with advanced squamous NSCLC. Methods: The patients received 4 cycles of gemcitabine (1,000 mg/m2, days 1 and 8) and cisplatin (80 mg/m2, day 1) every 3 weeks, followed by gemcitabine alone as maintenance therapy every 3 weeks until disease progression or unacceptable toxicity. The primary end point of the study was progression-free survival (PFS) from the date of registration. Results: From May 2013 to October 2018, 26 patients were enrolled, and 25 patients received ≥1 cycle of planned treatment. Eighteen patients (69.2%) received 4 cycles of cisplatin plus gemcitabine, and 16 patients (61.5%) received ≥1 cycle of maintenance gemcitabine. The median PFS from the date of registration was 5.3 months (95% CI 2.9–7.3 months). In 16 patients who received ≥1 cycle of maintenance gemcitabine, the median PFS from the date of maintenance gemcitabine initiation was 3.8 months (95% CI 2.3–5.2 months). Their median overall survival from the date of registration was 11.9 months (95% CI 7.5–26.5 months). During the maintenance therapy, adverse events (AEs) were mostly Common Terminology Criteria for AE grade 1. Conclusions: While this trial did not meet the primary endpoint, the sufficient efficacy and feasibility of gemcitabine maintenance therapy were suggested.